"Yes, they could do that, but it wouldn't do any real good. Hello, Dot, ready?"
The two girls started off down the path and Mrs. Rose watched them go with a sad heart. She knew how disappointed they were, after all their trouble to make the cake, and she couldn't imagine what had become of it.
"I can't believe any of the girls came and took it," she said to Maria.
"No, ma'am, dat dey didn't! dat cake was sperrited away by ghos'es. Dat's what it was!" And the big black eyes rolled in terrified apprehension. "Yas'm, sho'ly fer certain, dat's what happened. It's de work of dem sperrits!"
Mrs. Rose went on into the house unwilling to subscribe to Maria's theory, but equally unable to propound any of her own.
The girls reached the hotel where the fair was held and joined the gay throngs of people that were entering.
"Hello," said Maisie Norris as she met them. "Where's your cake?"
Now Dolly and Dotty had made up their minds not to tell of the catastrophe, until they could make some endeavour to find out if there were any suspicious looks or hints to be noticed among the other young cake makers.
"Where's yours?" Dotty said to Maisie.